There are a number of previous inventions which provide a tethered golf ball. For example, in Locurto, U.S. Pat. No. 4,660,835 a force spreading member, which is a sector of a spherical shell, is in intimate contact with a golf ball. An eye hook is connected to the golf ball. A three section cable is attached between the eye hook and a tether to tether the golf ball. In Marple, U.S. Pat. No. 4,095,798 a heavy duty metal stake has a helical screw portion which is turned into the ground to secure a swivel member. The swivel member is connected to a heavy rubber strap on one end, with the other end connected to one end of a nylon cord. The other end of the nylon cord is removably attached to a staple imbedded in a standard wound rubber core golf ball. In Schnurr, U.S. Pat. No. 1,326,976 a screw eye is secured within a hole which is countersunk into a golf ball. A tether cord made up of a short resilient section and a long light cord section attaches the screw eye to a tethering pin to tether the golf ball to the ground. In Craig, U.S. Pat. No. 1,446,641 a cable is passed through and headed beyond a golf ball and a helical wound flexible reinforcing member is attached to the cable to provide a means of securing the ball. In Lambert, U.S. Pat. No. 1,541,420 a golf ball is secured to a tether which is secured to a return spring. A housing is provided for the return spring. In Butkus, U.S. Pat. No. 3,502,337, a game device has a resiliently tethered ball using two cord sections connected together. One section is elastic and the other relatively nonstretchable. The non-stretchable cord is connected to a tethering pin and the elastic section to a golf ball. In Butkus, U.S. Pat. No. 3,521,887, a game device made up of a resiliently tethered ball using multiple tether elements is taught. This device uses two separate and independent tethering pins which are moveable relative to each other with respect to the ground or any other support. A tether cord made up of a number of sections connected together is attached to a golf ball and to one of the tethering pins.
None of these previous inventions provide means to: change the tether length for different clubs, replace the ball, provide separate means for the spring means and the damping means, use different anchor means, or to provide tee means.